Ice Storm in NY

Singh_9

We got hit pretty hard last Thursday night. At one point 500,000 were without power.
Here in Columbia County, severe tree damage, took out many power lines and transformers. As of tonight, many towns are still without power. Parkway has been close to traffic also, and many roads blocked with debris.Lucky for me we did not loose power. Hoever, I spent most of the weekend driving to concerned homeowners homes. I'm starting to re-think my stance on antifreeze. Better yet generators.

For those in the area I hope the ice storm has by-passed you.

On a side note, It's time to do something about our power grid, it's atiquated and primative, but cheap and fast. Yet subjected to weather, we need buried lines.


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Wayco Wayne_2

Sorry to hear of

the ice damage. It brings to mind the big ice storm NY state had about 12 years ago. My relatives up in St Lawrence County were without electricity for 3 months as the power towers were crumbled and brought to the ground by the ice. I called my Uncle in April of that year and he still had 5 inches of solid ice on the ground. I told him to buy some cleated golf shoes so he could get out to the barn to milk the cows. WW

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rt_2

Here in NH, I lost power at 1:00 AM on last Friday and still don't have it back. I was one of the fortunate ones to have a generator. I've been going back and forth with it to my daughters house to pump out her basement. She got her's back last night. Hopefully I'll get it back today!!!

R

Darin Cook_5

Ice Storm

It was pretty bad in our area. I learned some lessons the hard way. Modern boilers electronics do not like to be fed power from a generator. They see the incoming power as "dirty voltage". So unless you cut the leads to the HSI and powered it directly and non-stop, your boiler would not fire up. I had a Wilo Eco cut out also. I will have to find out how to deal with this (voltage rectifiers?) for future grid problems. All in all though, I was able to get out for the last weekend of muzzleloader and still harvest a deer!!!

P.S. Our own Mark Hunt had the electric service to his home RIPPED OFF by a falling tree!!!!!!!!!

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rt_2

I'm thinking about buying a portable heater for heating a basement during power outages. I'm thinking of the type they call torpedo or salimander. (Excuse my spelling). It's a horizontal tube with the burner inside the tube and usually there's a fuel tank as the base. I'm wondering if I should go with the one fueled by K-1/Fuel oil or the one powered by propane. I'll have a generater so 110 volt supply is not a problem. Anyone out there have any pro and cons from one to the other? Thanks.
Rene

nicholas bonham-carter

portable heater

how about several little infra red heaters. they run off a butane cylinder available more easily at supermarkets, hardware stores,etc. they are cheap, light, and produce less CO-[but you should stii have a detector!] you can have several- no electricity required. you may need to run a boiler stand alone from a genset from what i hear.--nbc

chris_93

go with lp

Kerosene will make the entire house smell.

Joannie_15

In NH

I'm in NH, as well. I lost mine at 11:00PM on Thursday, and it's still out. What a drag....but, at least nothing fell on the house, and I have a nice wood stove in the basement that will keep the house from freezing and give me a way to cook and make hot water, so although I'm in my fifth day of hauling water and wood, I'm trying to look at the bright side. Could be much worse.

Give me about two more days of this, though, and I think I'll turn into a bitter old hag.....my optimism is being tested.

My thoughts go out to everyone else without power, and especially to those who have damaged houses.

Mark Hunt_6

What a mess


Nice, new 200 amp service complete with breaker panel and breakers.....$2000

8000 watt generator.......$1300

Warm family.....priceless.

After this most recent ice storm I have come to this conclusion:

"Ice should only be used in drinks. Anytime ice is let out of a glass......problems follow."

Mark H

Unknown

Generator

Vowed never to be caught in ice storm outage again. Installed in 2006 with Auto-Transfer switch. Runs heat sub-pump (280' deep), gas cook top ignition,exhaust hood,Sub-Zero fridge,& lights. Nice steady clean power for computers & electronics.

Unknown

Generator

sorry

Unknown

Generator

Vowed never to be caught in ice storm outages again. Installed in 2006 with Auto-Transfer Switch. Runs heat, submersible pump,gas cook top ignition, exhaust hood, Sub-Zero fridge,& lights,without breaking a sweat. Nice clean power for computers,& electronics.

rt_2

Fortunately, I got my power back last night around 5:00 PM. I too feel bad for the one's still without power. As of last night, there was still 110,000 people in NH without power. Maybe today!!!! One person said I should be going with propane for a portable heater for the basement. Any other comments? I'm leaning towards fuel oil because in a major outage, I could always siphon fuel oil out of my oil tank whereas it may difficult to find someone to fill a 20 lb bottle. More comments would be appreciated. Thanks.

singh

Mark

Sorry for your woes .

At least you got a new 200 amp service ! Perhaps, (ha ha) your homeowners policy would cover some of it after the deductible.

Any way your absoulutly right, warm , happy family......priceless.

Be well.

Devan

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singh

Darin

Sorry for your woes also,

I have a client with a GB142 and a 10kw generator, switched over with no problems. What kind of problems were you seeing.

I also have a client with a Solar PV array, but found out the transfer switch will not kick in when no power is detected from the utility, sort of a protection feature the utilities require so no one gets zapped. That's stupid in my opinion.

Maybe a by-pass pump should be piped in for these emergencies?

Good job bagging the deer.

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michael_34

I like Roy's idea...

a wood stove for back up.

tim smith

Maybe a pellet stove with auto auger feeder. My father inlaw has

one and uses it all the time in basement of house in Jackson Wy. Works pretty well. Tim
Joanie, I think you are ready to go back to the dark ages. Sorry you all are having such a rough time back there.

Paul B_5

If He is Grid tied and no batteries the system is in fact set up to do this..Disconnect. But if he has battery backup the inverter will load share the power as required ( buying or Selling to the grid) If your going to Have an inverter , it makes sense to have Some battery backup as well, In other words a complete back-up power system and the EXTRA power just sell it back. Paul (Since I don't know his system it is possible the inverter may be configured incorrectly as well)

rt_2

I already have a pellet stove and it ran all weekend without a flaw. I'm just loking for a heater to be used in a dyer emergency, or to be able to bring it to my daughters house and bring the temp up above freezing in the basement. They can't afford a wood or pellet stove. They still depend on DAD!!

Jim Cogger_2

emergency heat

There are a few propane heaters,non vented, no electicity needed, availible through Grainger. Care of course due to CO but,no heat in freezing weather is an emergency too.
Jim

Dan Joyce_2

Anti freeze & generators

I to live in Columbia Co. Kinderhook. What's to re think about boiler anti freeze and generators. What other options are there for "weak enders" or us for that matter?
Dan Joyce (retired)

singh

Glycol

Well Dan, First off let me say Thank You! for the service Hatfield-Joyce has given to our community all these years. I sincerely hope you enjoy your retirement, I'm envious , as I have many more years to go, but don't know if the body can hold out that long.

Disadvantages of antifreeze:
1) Decreased thermal effciency
2) Harder to pump
3) "seeps through" fitting connections
5) Expensive
6) Requires yearly checking and complete removal and replenishing at least every 5 years. PH levels need to be monitored, espescially with some of the newer wall hung boilers.
7) Most don't do #6, giving homeowners a false sense of security. Yes, I've seen systems with "antifreeze" added that froze. Due to make up water continually diluting system over the years.
8) No protection for plumbing systems for "weekenders" or any one else when power is out.

Advantages of antifreeze:
1) It does not freeze.


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